


Of Augments and Doctors

by Mini_Kunoichi, PrettyinPinkPlatinum1991



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-12-14 15:24:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11785980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mini_Kunoichi/pseuds/Mini_Kunoichi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyinPinkPlatinum1991/pseuds/PrettyinPinkPlatinum1991
Summary: An unexpected accident causes one of the cryo pods to open. The crew of the Enterprise rush to contain the problem, but soon find that this Augment is nothing like they expected. Rating may go up. Co-written with a friend. Kirk/OC and Khan/OC. Originally posted on FF.net





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story got a good response on FanFiction.net, so I thought I'd post it here and see what you think!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Wendy Cole's day starts off rather well. It ends with an unexpected assignment to the most infamous starship in the fleet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updated on 10/3/17

“Hey, if you damage one of those things, you’ll be personally responsible for whatever comes out of it!”

The alto voice echoed through the nearly-empty hanger. Several cryogenics pods were slowly being lowered by crane onto the concrete hanger floor. Several more were already in place. Rows upon rows of metallic tubes that barely showed the faces of their occupants through windows frosted over by three centuries of use. The pods were being moved to this new location after their previous storage hanger was requisitioned to build a new type of exploratory shuttle meant for long stints away from the main Starship.

“Sorry ma’am,” Cadet Williams apologized immediately, steading the cryo-pod he had inadvertently set swinging with his head. He didn’t sound particularly sorry.

“Damn right you’re sorry,” the woman muttered to herself. Lieutenant Wendy Cole was the science officer in charge of moving what were considered to be seventy-three of the most dangerous human beings, known as Augments, to their new “home” in Hanger Three of Starfleet’s San Francisco base. The process had taken the better part of the day and, so far, had gone off without a hitch. And Wendy intended to keep it that way.

Once all the pods had been lowered onto the hanger floor, she personally went up and down each row. Inspecting the pods for signs of damage. Checking and double checking the health of the people inside. She checked her watch. It was almost 5 o’clock. That meant she had been at this for almost 10 hours. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she made her way over to the main power switch, which was inconveniently located on the other side of the hanger. She was just about to turn off the lights and be done for the day, when a voice drifted over from the open doorway.

“Dr. Cole?”

In the doorway stood two men. Wendy guessed they were in their late 20s or early 30s, and both quite attractive. One was clearly a Vulcan; his haircut gave him away long before Wendy would be close enough to see his ears. The other was human. His face was all sharp cheekbones and sharp angles offset by piercing soft blue eyes. Wendy recognized them immediately. While they were both young officers, they had already earned quite the reputation. No introductions were needed.

“Captain Kirk,” she greeted, a bit surprised. “And Commander Spock. To what do I owe this . . . pleasure?”

“Sorry. We were in the area and just wanted to check on the progress of the transfer. See if maybe you needed a few extra hands” Kirk apologized with a flirtatious smile.

He probably smiled like that to every girl he met, but Wendy couldn’t help smiling back. She caught a glimpse of the First Officer rolling his eyes out of her peripheral as she did so.

“I just finished checking these guys for the last time. Everyone seems to be in perfect health, and all cryo-pods are in excellent shape. Considering they’re 300 years old.” She led the two men along the same path she had just taken, talking as she went. “I discovered an interesting failsafe that seems to be programed into each cryo-pod. Apparently if a pod is heavily damaged, the reanimation sequence will automatically start, preventing the person inside from dying.”

“That doesn’t sound like good news,” Kirk frowned.

“It’s brilliant, actually. Very innovative for its time.”

“Whatever you say. . . .”

 

“What about Khan?” Spock asked. “Are there any signs of life from his cryogenics pod?”

Dr. Cole tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. Damn unruly thing kept falling out of her bun. She shook her head, “None at all. Everyone is sleeping peacefully.”

The two men nodded and, after a few more questions, took their leave. No one noticed the tiny fracture on the pod that had collided with the head of Cadet Williams.

The cryo-pod’s failsafe had been activated and within a few hours, the woman inside would wake up.  
______________________________________________________________________________

Around three o’clock, the top to the cryo-pod opened with a low hiss and the woman inside opened her eyes for the first time in over three hundred years. Sitting up slowly, she scanned the darkness, taking in her surroundings. It looked like some sort of airplane hangar. The other cryo-pods were lined up in neat rows. This was definitely not the Botany Bay. There were no visible threats save for some security cameras. She could see the pinpricks of red light in the darkness.

She examined her own pod, noting that she was only awoken because of the failsafe. That meant whoever had packed them in this hangar like cargo had no intention of ever waking them up. Making her decision, the woman slowly climbed out of her cryo-pod, her joints and muscles popping and aching from lack of use. There was someone she needed to find.

The woman found what she was looking for. Crouching low, she studied the man inside the cryo-pod for a long moment. Khan Noonien Singh looked peaceful enough. Far more peaceful than he should have, she thought. From what she could see through the frosted-over glass, he wasn’t wearing the same shirt as he had been when they boarded the Botany Bay. He had some explaining to do. Like why she hadn’t been let in on the fun. She quickly punched in the sequence for reanimation. Now all she had to do was. 

There was a click behind her. It almost sounded like the safety of a gun, but not quite.

“Don’t move.”

The woman raised her hands, turning slowly to the men behind her. Six men, all armed, were staring her down. The weapons they were holding didn’t look like any gun she was familiar with. But it didn’t really matter. This would be easy.

“Turn it off,” one of the men barked, gesturing toward the cryo-pod. They had noticed that it was running. So maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as she thought.

“No,” she replied smoothly.

“Turn it off, or I blow away one of your friends.”

The man pointed his weapon at a nearby cryo-pod, his finger on the trigger. He held his ground as she stared him down. She had to hand it to him, this man had balls. It was tough to get a read on him. Several seconds passed.

The woman frowned, deciding that he meant what he said. And there was no way to know if the weapon could actually penetrate the glass and kill the person inside. It was a risk she wasn’t willing to take. Slowly she leaned over, and powered down Khan’s cryo-pod.  
______________________________________________________________________________

Wendy practically ran down the hallway of hospital. Earning herself strange looks from both patients and staff alike. She figured she should be nervous; one of the Augments had woken up on her watch, even after she had personally declared the cryo-pods to be in perfect working order. And yet she couldn’t help that she felt excited. She had studied these people for her entire adult life-what little of it there was so far. They had even been the subject of her doctoral thesis. And now she had the chance to talk to one of them. 

She skidded to a stop just outside of the room she had been looking for. It was easy to spot, with two guards posted outside the door. She could see six more guards through the open door, blocking her view of the Augment-and any staff-inside.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” one of the guards in the hallway addressed her politely. “But we can’t let you in.”

“All of those people are my responsibility. I want to know if she’s alright.”

“I’m sorry, but my orders–”

“It’s alright,” a voice called from in the room. “She isn’t resisting right now.”

Wendy slipped inside before the two guards could even react. Sitting on the edge of the bed was a woman with blonde hair almost touching the stark white sheet, her jade green eyes studied the med scanner with mild curiosity. She glanced over as Wendy squeezed through the rest of the security team, causing the doctor to look up as well.

“Dr. Cole,” he greeted impassively.

“Dr. McCoy,” she returned. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Since I was the person to examine one of these freaks the last time, they asked me to come in and examine this one.”

Dr. Cole glared at his terminology, and the woman turned back to stare at McCoy. He shifted uncomfortably.

“Would you stop that?” he snapped. “It’s freaking me out.”

“Freaks? It’s nice to know people haven’t changed in the past three hundred years,” the Augment replied.

McCoy stared at her in surprise.

“It’s not polite to call someone a freak,” she continued. “Especially when you’re just met them. From the warm reception and your earlier comment, I believe that it’s safe to assume that you dealt with another Augment. Probably recently.”

“Yeah,” Dr. McCoy answered. “Khan. The man you were trying to wake up.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose slightly in a self-satisfied smirk. Before she could reply, two other men entered the room. Both Captain Kirk and Commander Spock appeared rushed. Kirk’s chest rising and falling slightly more than usual. Meaning that he probably ran there. Spock didn’t appear to be out of breath, but then again, he was also a Vulcan.

“How the hell did this happen?!” Kirk demanded, stalking toward Dr. Cole. She glared at him, not appreciating his tone of voice.

 

“Apparently her cryogenics pod had a minute fracture in the glass. It must have expended during the night. To the point that the failsafe was tripped.”

“How could you miss something like that?”

Wendy turned to face him fully. She drew herself up to her full height and squared her shoulders before answering, “I realize that those people are my responsibility, but sometimes shit happens. It’s entirely possible that the fracture was so small that it didn’t register on the scanners. Technology isn’t infallible, you know.”

Kirk stared at her, a mixture of shock and confusion written all over his face. He probably couldn’t remember the last time a woman had snapped at him like that Wendy thought. 

“That is a possibility,” the Vulcan said. “But no matter what happened, fact remains that another Augment is awake.”

Kirk seemed flounder a bit before he regained his bearings and said, “Well, fine, but what are we going to do about this?”

“You could always just, you know, let me go” the woman drawled from the bed.

“Absolutely not,” the three men said in unison. Her only response was to roll her eyes.

“The only thing we can do is fix her cryo-pod,” Dr. Cole offered.

“Fine,” Kirk agreed. “But I’ve submitted a request that she be put in my custody until that happens. My crew handled this threat the last time, and we’ll handle it this time, too. She’ll be transferred to the Enterprise as soon as she’s cleared medically.”

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Dr. Cole interrupted in a tone that said she actually didn’t care if she was being rude or not. “But I’m the only one in Starfleet who knows anything about her people aside from being the foremost scholar on the Augment program and the Eugenics Wars. She should stay with me.”

“I’ll request you be transferred as well,” Kirk replied. “We leave in an hour. You’d better be ready.” 

And he left. Wendy glared at his back.

A tense silence followed. It was eventually broken by the woman sitting on the hospital bed.

“My name is Leo. Just in case anyone was wondering.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wendy tries to get some basic information out of Leo. It doesn't go well.

Almost an hour later, Leo was handcuffed and escorted to the transporter room by six armed guards, with Dr. Cole following close behind. The prisoner seemed completely unfazed by the whole thing. In fact, she almost seemed bored. Even so, she answered every question that the doctor fired her way.

"You said your name was Leo, right?"

"Yup."

"What about your last name?"

"Don't remember."

"Oh come on. It's only seemed, like, a few seconds for you and you don't remember your full name?"

"Nope."

"Ok, so . . . what about the guy you were trying to revive. Why him?"

"Khan is our leader."

"So you wake him up first?"

"Of course."

"What was your position on the crew?"

"Engineer."

"Really?"

"No."

"Look, if you're not going to take this seriously, then don't answer me at all. Ok?"

"Ok."

"What was your actual position on Khan's crew?"

Leo didn't answer.

"You're literally not going to answer me."

Still no answer. Wendy sighed in frustration but said nothing else.  
___________________________________

"I don't get it," Kirk said as he stared at the security feed. He and Spock were staring at the live feed coming from the brig. Leo was currently lounging on the bench in her cell, completely relaxed despite the high security.

"What do you not understand, Captain?" Spock asked.

"Her . . . like, at all," Kirk explained.

"I'm afraid I do not follow you."

"Look at her! She's the complete opposite of Khan! I mean, she doesn't seem to be in any hurry. She doesn't even seem to care."

"It would appear that way, sir."

"Screw this. I'm going to have a chat with our guest. You coming?"

Spock nodded in acknowledgment and the two men left the bridge.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. As soon as Leo heard the hiss of the automatic door, she sat up. She stayed there, half reclined on the bunk, and studied the two men. Kirk glared at her, but she didn't so much as blink. Although her expression seemed to change from mildly bored to mildly annoyed.

"The captain," she drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word. "What an honor."

"Shut up," Kirk growled. Leo smirked, pissing him off even more. "What?" he snapped again.

"Oh nothing," she replied with amusement.

"Ok, listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. The last time your leader woke up, he went on a little murder spree. I watched him murder innocent people. He tried to kill me and my entire crew. So in my eyes, you're no different."

"Guilt by association, I like it."

"Did I say you could talk?"

Leo's smirk only widened, so he continued.

"You're going to answer every question I ask, and you're going to answer truthfully, got it?"

She shrugged, "Sure."

"Is Khan your leader?"

"Yes."

"Why were you trying to revive him?"

"Because he's my leader."

"I believe she is lying, Sir," Spock cut in, whispering in the captain's ear. "While it is logical that any loyal subordinate would revive their leader first, I do not think that is the case here."

Kirk narrowed his eyes, "You agreed to tell the truth, remember?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Leo sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Try me."

"No."

"What?!"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"You're not going to tell me?" he asked in disbelief. When there was no reply, he continued, "What are you planning?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit."

"Well too bad, because it's the truth."

Kirk stepped closer to the glass, glaring. "You will answer my question and you will tell me what you and Khan were planning!"

Leo was on her feet so fast that neither man actually saw her move. She stalked toward Kirk, coming right up to the glass. And her eyes, once bored and disinterested, were now burning as she stared down the captain.

"We weren't planning anything! It's not like he had a way to give me orders! I was a human popsicle for centuries! I'm done talking."

Kirk started to say something else but stopped when Spock put a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain, she has just woken up after centuries in suspended animation. Perhaps we should let her rest and see if she is ready to answer our questions at a later time."

Kirk nodded. He knew that his first officer was right, as always. He left the room, but Spock lingered behind.

"Please, try to understand," he said. "All of this is merely a precaution. We do not wish to harm you or your people."

He waited for a reply, but none came. The woman behind the glass wouldn't even look at him. So the Vulcan nodded his head politely and left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Wendy settle into their new digs onboard the Enterprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted on FF.net, however, this is a revised/revamped version. Things have been added or removed and some plot points will be moved around. So if you want to go over there to read ahead, just keep that in mind. :)

Wendy opened the door to her quarters, peeking inside curiously. It was small, but not cramped. Like all officer’s quarters, a single bed was tucked up against one wall, and a small desk sat against the opposite wall. She even had her own bathroom, something only afforded to senior officers. Not for the first time, Wendy was glad she’d taken the time and effort to earn the rank of Lieutenant.

Wendy tossed her duffle bag onto the bed, not bothering to properly unpack, or even put anything away, she started pulling out the contents of the bag one at a time and tossing them on the mattress. About halfway down, she found what she was looking for.

“Bingo,” she muttered, pulling out her tablet. She kept all of her research on the Augments on this dinosaur. She’d bought the thing in high school, just a few years before the PADD was released, and it still had more storage capacity than the current PADD series. She gave herself a silent pat on the back for never getting rid of anything.  
\----------------------  
At that same time that Wendy was moving into her quarters, Leo was analyzing her containment cell. It was harshly lit and almost impossibly white. She ran her hand along the only bench and studied the slight glare that came off the smooth surface. It seemed like the whole cell was covered in one continuous piece of . . . whatever this material was.

Tapping a nail against the wall, she tilted her head slightly as she listened to the sound it gave off.

“Melamine?” she mumbled to herself, then shook her head. There’s no way the plastic resin would make a good containment cell, but that was the closest match she could think of at the moment. She made a mental note to investigate later.  
\---------------------  
Kicking off her shoes, Wendy relaxed on the bed. She powered up the tablet and started looking in her files for any reference to a ‘Leo.’ She was surprised to find a file tucked away in an obscure corner of the hard drive. And it was labeled with the name of the woman that was currently sitting in a cell in the brig. She opened it and started reading. As she skimmed the article, her eyes grew wider and wider.

Wendy didn’t even bother reading the whole thing. Sitting up, she tossed the tablet onto a pile of clothes. She had never been more excited in her life. She remembered who this woman was. She took a moment to mentally kick herself for not connecting the dots earlier. Of all of the people trapped in those cryogenic pods, this was the one person she had always wanted to talk to. 

Without hesitating, Wendy hurried out of her room and headed for the brig. She found the young woman pacing and slightly agitated.

“Leokadia Aristov,” Wendy said as she approached the glass. “I don’t know why I didn’t recognize you before.”

Upon hearing her full name, Leo turned to look at the science officer. She raised an eyebrow. She had no idea why the lieutenant might recognize. There was no way she or her cause had made it into any major history books. She walked slowly up to the glass, looking at the doctor cautiously.

“I’m sorry,” Wendy apologized. “I never properly introduced myself. I’m Dr. Wendy Cole. I’ve been studying you and your people for years. I’ve been looking after you. Making sure you’re alright and your cryo pods don’t malfunction and stuff.” 

Leo nodded. “I read about you on this tiny little computer thing they gave me. A PADD, I think they called it. Your biography is impressive. Very progressive work. Well, at least it would’ve been for my time. You’ve dedicated your career to helping us, and I thank you for that.” 

Wendy smiled, and Leo smiled back. It seemed that there was a now a silent understanding between the two women. Wendy had found the link to the past that she’d always wished she’d had, and Leo found an ally. Suddenly, Wendy turned on her heel and hurried out of the room, throwing a quick “I’ll be back” over her shoulder. Leo stared after her like the doctor was crazy. Which was entirely possible.  
\-----------

Wendy hurried to the bridge, hoping to find the captain there and not have to go on a great Kirk hunt. She was so excited that she almost forgot to ask permission. 

“Permission to come on the bridge,” she blurted, skidding to a stop just in time. The captain smiled flirtatiously when he saw her.

“Dr. Cole, I didn’t expect to see you here so soon.”

Wendy rolled her eyes. Was he seriously flirting with her when they were both working? Did he even know how to talk to a woman without flirting? Probably not.

“You have to let her out,” she blurted.

“Let who out?” Kirk was confused, although Spock looked over like he had an idea of who the doctor was talking about.

“Leo. Well, you don’t have to, but I’m pretty certain that she’s harmless.”

Kirk scoffed, “None of those people are harmless.”

“You don’t know that,” Wendy glared back at him. “But I know for a fact that she’s harmless.”

“You know for sure. If we let her out, we run the risk of –”

“I know for sure!” she snapped at him. “She told me her name was Leo, her full name is Leokadia Aristov.”

Kirk just stared at her blankly. Spock, who had been listening in, came over to join the conversation.

“She was a very outspoken activist in her time,” Wendy continued. “Born in Russia, but moved to the U.S. sometime in her early childhood. She pushed for peace and civil rights. Specifically the rights of genetically altered people known as Augments. Her people. She organized marches, gave speeches, even met with political leaders around the world. There were even two assassination attempts that we know of. After the first one, she disappeared for about two and a half years, but came back with a renewed sense of purpose.”

“And you are sure that the woman is our custody is the same person?” Spock asked.

Wendy nodded. “I’m sure. I came across an old photo of Leokadia. The only confirmed picture of her we have. I know it’s her.”

“That’s an impressive biography,” Kirk admitted, still not entirely convinced.

“Don’t you see? There’s no way she could be a threat. Not if she dedicated her whole life to pacifism!” 

Kirk frowned and shook his head. He still didn’t like the idea of letting a genetically altered superhuman loose on his ship. Wendy was about to protest when Spock stepped in to offer a solution.

“While I understand the Captain’s concern, I agree that we should not condemn Leo to sit in a cell until her cryo pod is operational if she proves to not be a threat.”

“What do you propose?” Kirk sighed, giving into the logic of his First Officer.

“She has only been awake for a few hours, but she has not caused any problems thus far. If she continues her good behavior, then move her to an empty room with an armed guard.”

“Alright,” the captain agreed. “That sounds fair enough.”

“Thank you, Captain!” Wendy was almost beaming.

Kirk smiled back and nodded. He liked her smile, it was genuine and bright, and it only made her more beautiful. He liked her, and he knew she liked him. Maybe this journey wasn’t going to be so boring after all.  
______________________________________________________________________________

There was a commotion in the hallway. Leo sat up, alert and ready to meet any potential threat if need be. Her enhanced hearing picked up the soft squelch of a fist connecting with a face, then the thump as a body hit the floor. She stood and moved to get a better vantage point. Because whoever was out there had to come through that door.

Sure enough, a figure rushed into the brig. He was tall, with slightly broad shoulders, wearing loose pants and a shirt, both black. Leo’s heart skipped a beat. She knew who it was.

“Khan,” she breathed, unable to say anything else. “But how. . . .”

He looked relieved as the rushed over to her cell, talking as he went, and immediately started to

look for something. 

“The cryogenic sequence apparently didn’t shut down all the way. I was revived, and when I saw that your pod was empty . . . I had to find you.”

Leo watched him as he found a hidden panel, punched some buttons, and opened the cell door. She stepped out, about to ask him how he knew, but he answered her before she could even open her mouth.

“This is the exact same cell they kept me in. I memorized the code when they locked me up. And took me out.”

He finally turned to look at her. Leo gazed into his stormy grey-blue eyes as he reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. They didn’t stay like that for long; there was still work to do. Khan smiled and held out his hand. She reached for it.

And woke up.


End file.
